Final Fantasy: Agito(private/mature)

"I see...so the story that you two were caught making out in a closet with your hands all other each other was a lie?" Queen blinked, her brow raising as she stared Sice down. The girl was hiding something and she knew it! Queen just had that ability. She could easily tell when she was being lied to or when someone was leaving information out. Everyone had a tell and Sice was no different. "Hm...thats interesting." Queen replied softly as she leaned back against the couch and sipped a little more of her milk. There was a long awkward pause between them before she spoke again. "I think...I admire him...and at times...become jealous." she whispered. It was time for Queen to lay her cards on the table. If Sice really had no interest in Ace then fine. If she did though, Queen would simply know exactly what she was dealing with. "I mean think about it. He does whatever he wants and when he wants. He's accountable to no one but himself. He's so care free too. I think...that was the reason I hated him so much. I wanted to be just like him. I wanted what he had." The girl replied softly as another long pause took place between them.

"I want William to regain his memories. We need him. Honestly, I think he's the glue that holds us all together. Also...I feel...stronger when he takes charge. Growing in that castle...it was as if I were a caged bird. I was never allowed to play with the neighboring children. I had never made a friend till I meant Deuce in middle school. All my life...its been all about perfection." Queen whispered as she brought her knees up into her chest. Her eyes gazed upon the floor as if she had been thrown into a deep trance. "I remember those times like they were yesterday. My mother had me take lessons on just about everything. Piano, art, singing...you name it. There was no room for second place. I had win always. Well...one time I got fed up. I couldn't have been no older then six years old. For years I wanted to go into our family garden and run through the sunflowers we grew. My mother would never allow it though. She said such action was beneath my station and that only the lower class rolled around in dirt. One day though...I skipped my lessons. I spent all day just running, no where in particular...just running. To say the least, I was a mess by the end of the day." Queen chuckled softly. The smile on her lips soon vanished though as a grim expression to her place.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. I crept back into the castle, but my father found me. I thought I was in trouble, but he just smiled and wiped the dirt off my cheeks. He promised that he wouldn't tell mother, but I needed to hurry with my bath and go to bed. I had just settled down wh-when she came bursting into my room. I still remember the look in her eyes. It felt like someone had just stabbed a knife through my chest. My mother drug me out of bed by my hair, through the halls, and into the living room. My father begged her to leave me be, but she ignored him. Next...she grabbed a poker from the fire place..." Queen stated, her body flinching as she spoke. Her arms soon locked around her legs tighter. "She said if I wanted to act like a commoner...I'd be treated like one. So...she began to beat me over, over, and over. My father tried to stop her, but my mother ordered the guards to hold him. By the time she was done, I was half dead. My body...it felt broken...so very broken. I remember staring up at my father. I had never seen him cry until that night...."

"A few weeks later after my body healed, my father brought me a gift. He gave me the very longsword I carry today. He said it was the sword of kings and queens. Actually, he was the one who had given me my nickname. I always said that I was his little queen. As the weeks passed, father spent every moment he could teaching me how to use the sword. I was so happy! I had never been giving anything that was only meant for me. I actually ended up sleeping with the sword during the night. One night though...I guess my mother had gotten fed up. She came into my room and tried to take the sword from me. When I didn't let go, she began to beat me until my cheeks grew swollen. I remember it all so well. M-My father came running in. I watched as he slapped my mother and placed the sword back into my tiny hands. That night...was the last time I saw him. Mother told me he had run away and that he was a coward...but...I think she might have had him executed. I never obtained any proof though. It was forbidden to mention his name. Life without my dad...it had lost meaning. I remained a caged bird, one who could only watch other birds fly. Thats why I hated Ace so much...thats why I couldn't stand him. For so long...I wanted to fly the way he did..." Queen replied softly and wiped a few tears from her eyes. She let out a soft laugh as her face turned away. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you dont give a damn about my life story. I'm not the kind of girl who cries either. Its just...well...I need William to get his memories back. I-Its...very important..."

A castle huh? It wasn't surprising. Sice couldn't imagine what it would have been like growing up in a castle far away. She only ever dreamed of castles when she was asleep or wasting the day away under the gentle kiss of the sunlight. To think Queen came from such a place was...rather suiting. She felt bad for Queen in a way just then. Sice had terrible memories but they were always countered with good ones. Like her father and mother taking her out for a picnic where she got to chase butterflies in the field not very far from here. They were distant now; being invaded now with the critical thoughts of recent events. "I grew up here, yeah. Though I think Daniel-... I mean Dad, added on since the last time I was here." The second story and the many rooms up there were a new addition to the old quaint house Sice had grown to know and love. But with big men like Daniel's living here, it was a necessary measure.

Her aquatic eyes flickered just then. Queen seemed to shift uneasily beside her. Sice looked upon the girl only to note the dreadful seriousness in her melted topaz hues. However the question was hardly that serious. Sice actually blushed at it! While she thought Sice pulled her legs to her chest, the heels of her feet holding her up at the edge of the couches cushion. She hugged her legs. "I'm not really sure. And I'm not entirely sure I feel comfortable talking about ANY relationship with you." Of course it was just a way to test the unstable grounds between them. She meant no harm by the words. "I... Guess I really like having Ace around. He and I are more alike then I ever imagined before." The mentioning of Nine however gave Sice an unsettled feeling. She wished she knew where he was. She missed him. "I know Ace does touch me a lot but I also beat the shit out of him every time he does. Thus I never have a need to report it. It's almost always an accident. Besides, those 'scandalous' stories are just rumors. You can't believe everything you hear, Queen."

Queen laughed softly. She couldn't take all the credit. The girl most likely wouldn't have apologized if Deuce hadn't said anything to her. It was amazing how much influence the younger girl had over her. "So..." Queen whispered as she sipped her milk and moved to take a seat beside Sice. "Did you grow up here? Its a lovely home. It feels...warm." Queen replied softly before staring down at the ground. "My own home...it never felt this way. I grew up in a castle about a hundred times bigger then this house. To say the least...most of my memories are cold ones." Queen replied softly. The girl's had to find some middle ground. They couldn't stay at each other's throats forever.

Suddenly, Queen turned towards Sice. She had placed her milk down to the side. Her face was serious now. Sice had information that Queen wanted. Being the kind of person she was, the girl decided to just come and ask instead of beating around the bush. "What kind of relationship do you and William have?" Queen asked flatly, her golden eyes staring straight into Sice's blue ones. "What I mean is...do you like him? He's the only guy aside from Nine and Jack that I see you around. Somehow, you treat them different. Its like...you keep them at an arms length. I've heard rumors that Ace has 'accidentally' groped you a number of times and that you two have been caught in some...scandalous situations. Not to mention, there was the incident this morning. I heard that he somehow teleported right into the girl's changing room and landed right ontop of you. Stuff like that has been going on since freshman year...but I've never seen you once, not once ever distance yourself from him. I've never even received a complaint from you. I got about a hundred from the other girls he dropped in on..." Queen sighed and shook her head. If there was one thing she could count on it was Ace making her hard job even harder.

Some time later Sice and her dad had returned from their little family adventure in the woods. Daniel had gone off to make sure no one was asleep in his bed and to see if there were extra cots laying about for students like Jack asleep on the floor before the stairs. "I've got some extra clothes for you, Irina." Daniel explained before leading the girl into his upstairs bedroom. It was a large room but vastly empty. A few old pictures were here and there on the single dresser placed in the room. Sice remembered most of them and stared fondly at the one of her mom holding her just after she was born. Daniel opened the closet beside the bed. Inside was nothing but her mothers clothing. Sice's mom was a delicate woman with a mean fighting streak. The men who worked under Daniel had called her Dancing Flower when they were in battle. Still all her clothing were nothing more than frilly dresses and modern skirts. Sice stared. He was kidding right? It was all pink and blue and cream and...well she would look like an ice cream cone! Despite the thought Sice threw her arms around her dad, hardly connecting in the back before ushering him out for her to change.

She changed into a pair of bright neon pink cotton shorts that her mother had often wore for working in the garden. A silver silk tank covered her chest, slightly large around her breasts but enough to cover her. Sice then ventured downstairs after she changed but took with her a small book which belonged to her mothers. She sat on the couch after Daniel had taken Cinque and Deuce up to her old bedroom; they had fallen asleep there with their heads together. Inside the book were the pressed flowers that she and her mother loved to do. The sting of her tear stained eyes brought her to reality after imagining the woman she idolized.

"Um...hey Sice..."

Sice was taken off guard by Queen's approach. She slammed the book shut. Queen began to ramble, she half expected Queen to bitch her out again but...she didn't. Sice examined Queen carefully. Maybe the amnesia thing was contagious! This chance would never come a second time though. "I...um... thanks. It means a lot actually that you came to apologize to me, Queen. You have more courage than I do. I would never have apologized." Sice stated with a weak grin. It was hard to imagine not wanting to kill Queen for a change. Daniel was on the stairs but remained silent with a soft smile. It was nice to know the leader of the kids wasn't a total and utter bitch after all. Imagine that, SHE WAS ACTUALLY HUMAN!

When Queen heard the news she seemed more happy than mad. She knew that Deuce would be able to do something about Ace's memory. The key now was to make sure that she didn't rush the job. "Excellent work Deuce. Just make sure you take it slow. We've all been through allot today. To have to relive those events would be too much. Take your time when you bring back his memories. We dont want his mind damaged. He might not wish to remember, but we cant bring him with us if he doesn't know whats going on or who he cant trust." Queen replied softly. "For now though allow him to rest. We'll pick things up in the morning. Until then I want both of you to get some rest. I believe Sice's father has a washing machine and a dryer. We can get all the blood and dirt out our uniforms at last." Queen sighed. As she looked around though she noticed most of her class had already fallen asleep. The day had been a long one. The students had already faced so many trials. Their academy was gone and one of their fellow students were still missing. Could things get any worse?

Later that night, Queen quietly crept down the stairs. She had just finished taking the most amazing bath ever! Honestly, she felt like a new woman after scrubbing all the grime that had stuck to her body. With her uniform in the wash, Queen was now wearing some baggy grey sweats she had found inside another room. The sweats were...well a little big so she had tied them extra tight to insure they didn't fall off. She also were a small white tshirt that came to rise just above her naval. Her dark long hair had been tied into a neat bun too. Despite her ordinary appearance, she still held that look of perfection. It was a habit that was hard to break. As she made her way into the kitchen she grabbed a small glass and filled it till the brim with milk. This was another habit. Queen could never go to bed without a glass of milk. As he began to drink though, she noticed that Sice was still awake. The girl's eyes were red and puffy. Had she been crying? No way...the Sice Queen knew was a rock. Queen was about to turn right back around and walk away, however the moment she did the words Deuce had spoken to her came ringing in. "Damnit..."

"Um...hey Sice." Queen whispered as she walked up to the girl, her glass of milk still in hand. "Listen...about the things I said...I may have cast judgement...a bit too soon. I know that had you been able to do anything you would have. It...wasn't far for me to put the blame on you...and for that...I...apologize." Queen replied softly. It was an honest heart felt apology. IT just took a while to come out was all.

((ooc: Lol I couldn't resist the idea. <3 Daniel makes a great dad! xD))

Cinque seemed to beam simply because Ace had used the names she had given them. She was delighted; this was the first step to recovery! But now that she thought about it, she should have given him cooler names like Dagger and Knives or something. Then again, that would have made things messy and Queen surely would have thrown a Bitch Fit over that. Lately she didn't know what had crawled up Queen's ass and died. She assumed that while Queen's head was up there, perhaps she would locate it herself. Deuce began to play her flute ever so softly. The sound always made Cinque calmer. She loved music just as much as Sice loved sweets; apparently Daniel did too. But she didn't expect anything to happen from the music. Not like what actually did occur.

Deuce nearly fell off the bed as Ace lurched forward. She panicked and immediately shot up to his side, hands on his back. "Ace?!" She nearly shouted. Then his body slumped. Out cold again.

"What the hell Deuce?! I said cure him not kill him!" Cinque teased. She crawled over Ace to arrange him properly on the bed, pulling the sheets over him like a mother tucking her baby into bed. "We should inform Queen Bee-ch about this." Angel and Cinque were down the stairs in a matter of time. They threw Jack aside who had fallen asleep on the last step of the stairs. He fell to the floor with a thud but continued to sleep. "Queen! You'll never guess what happened! ...Actually I'm not even sure what happened." Explained Cinque. Angel began to explain the rest.

ooc: Gotta love family drama =D

ic: Ace had a hard time falling asleep. His mind was a complete blank. There were no memories, no dreams, no anything. His mind was like a large endless void that went on for miles and miles. Ace was just about to give up sleeping when he suddenly felt a hard thump at the end of his bed causing his body to lift up some. The boy stared wide eyed at Cinque. Why was everyone asking him what he remembered? He had already said no about a hundred times. "Hi...Cinque, Deuce." Ace mumbled. He couldn't but wonder where the girls had gotten such odd names though.

"Hey...where's the girl with the glasses and the one with the silver hair? They both seemed kinda upset. Oh...and what about about the tall one? You know...I think she was holding that moogle thing. I might have made her cry." Ace whispered softly, his eyes shifting down to his blankets. It seemed like so many people expected him to regain these 'memories' but Ace honestly didn't know where to start. What he didn't want was people worrying over him though.

As Deuce began to play her tune, Ace's eyes widened a little. Suddenly, pain tore across his body! He leaned forward, his arms wrapped around himself as he took in deep breaths. Fragments were playing through his mind at a rapid speed. He could see Sice eating her ice cream. The image suddenly changed though. Ace could now see blood...lots of blood. There were faint images of a hall and a small pile of girls. Smoke, ash, and death filled the air. It was too much, it was just too much! With in seconds, Ace passed out right in front of Cinque's lap. His breaths were shallow and his pulse was low. IF those had been the memories that everyone wish to return...Ace was sure he'd be happy without them.

The soup was served to those who were still hungry, mainly Daniel's men of course, but everyone was welcomed to it. After that was taken care of he left his men in charge of the children and went on a search for Sice. He hadn't seen her in years and now she was avoiding him like the plague. When she was a girl with pigtails and skinned knees she was always crying to be with her papa. But now... She had really changed.

As he left the comfort of the house and entered the now pitch black woods he could hear her off in the distance. Her scythe echoed as it clashed against the hardest bark in the forest. He had never seen the scythe before but had an inkling of where it came from. He wandered further. She wasn't far from the house and was easy to track. Her path was coated in a sheen of ice. He soon found her standing before a large tree covered in a thick layer of ice. She was hacking away at it with the blade. Tears glittered on her face. "You're wasting energy." Chimed her father. Sice didn't look. "If you want to cut down a tree, your doing it wrong." This time Sice stopped. When she faced her father her face was red, tear stained. Daniel was about to ask but stopped. Sice dropped to her knees, throwing Tundra to the side effortlessly.

"Why is it always my fault?!" She sobbed into the palms of her hands. Daniel dared a step forward. "Everyone either gets hurt or dies because of me! I wish they would die! I wish they would have all been taken by the soldiers and I wish I would have died never knowing anyone!"

"You don't mean that." Teenagers. They always said bullshit like that. Daniel had forgotten his girl was now a teen. No wonder she didn't want to talk to him or give him a bear hug like the old days.

"But I do! Queen is right I could have saved Ace all of this trouble!" Her shoulders shuddered before she lurched forward, now on her hands and knees. Tears continued to roll, freezing on the ground which was still glaring with ice. "Its because of me that...That Mom died too."

Daniel was on the move now. He marched to Sice, picked his girl up by the shoulder and starred at her long and hard. Sice looked pathetic there, gasping as she choked on her tears. "THIS ISN'T THE GIRL I RAISED. Your mother died because she was protecting you, how dare you say you killed her!" With a stern face Daniel threw Sice down on the ground. She landed on her back, simply staring blankly at the man. "Now tell me why it matters so much to you about this boy."

Sice looked away then. She crawled to her knees but moved no further. "I really liked him Dad. I've liked him for a while but I never thought it was possible to be near him. Lately we've been close but now.." She made fists in her lap. "Now I'm as useless as ever."

"Stop this pity party, Irina." Turning to look up at her father, Sice noticed he was refraining his emotions. He had always tensed when things were heated or when she was crying. Perhaps he felt sad too? She never understood it. "With all the magic this damnable world has, there's bound to be a way to save the kids memories. That girl...The one with the moogle and brown hair... She's a white mage, I can see it in her eyes. Can't she do anything?" Sice shook her head. "If we can cure goddamn petrification we can cure amnesia. That should be an easy task! C'mon I made soup back at the house."

+ + +

After a while Cinque and Angel found themselves bored with the rest of the group. Jack had gone off to admire pictures of young Sice and the scant pictures of her mother he located in Daniel's room. Cinque laid upside down on the couch in the living room, staring at the men who worked for Daniel. They paid the girl no attention and were busy discussing 'business transactions'. "Hey Deuce~," Began Cinque with a singing voice. Angel looked over curiously. "Why don't we try talking to Ace again? Or perhaps you can try more magic stuff on him."

It was of little debate before Angel and Cinque made their way up the stairs and back to Ace's room. Cinque shut the door behind them before jumping on the bed. Angel's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "Cinque! He's trying to rest!!"

"He has all night for that! Hey Ace, do you remember anything? My name is Cinque and this is Deuce. We're friends of yours. We went to school together to practice magic." While Cinque talked Angel was at Ace's side, putting her index finger against his temple while her free hand brought the flute to her mouth. She played a few notes before a light shivered to life at her finger tip. It was a rainbow of colors, all too faint to see clearly however.

Queen had been informing Jack, Cinque, and King on Ace's condition. Even though King wasn't a fan of Ace's, he looked concerned. They were debating on what to do when Deuce walked up to Queen and lectured her. For the first time, Queen remained silent. She didn't say a single word even after Deuce had walked away. She didn't think what she had said was harsh. It was the truth after all and sometimes the truth hurt. She was sure Sice would be fine. It wasn't like she and Ace were married or anything. As far as Queen knew, Sice was a loner. In fact she couldn't even count the number of times she had seen Sice in the company of someone other then her scythe. She'd be fine.

Meanwhile, Ace continued to lay down against the soft sheets of his bed. Seven was still sitting at his bedside, her arms firmly wrapped around Mog's small body. How badly she wanted to talk to Ace. How badly she wanted to let him know that everything would be ok, that no one would leave him. Ace looked up towards the girl. Were those...tears in her eyes? The blond slowly sat up. He couldn't imagine why anyone would cry over him. "Um...you ok?" Ace asked softly. He didn't know why, but he felt the inner need to comfort Seven so he placed his hand ontop of one of hers. Now, the last time Ace had touched Seven, she had nearly killed him. This time, the girl simply flinched a little. IT was embarrassing though she ended up rushing to her feet and leaving the room. How long would it be till she could act like normal girls? How long would it take her to get over her fear of men? "Damn you father...damn you to hell..." Seven screamed mentally as more tears ran down her pale face.

Queen was a total bitch but... She was right. Sice did not argue against Queen's venom. Why would she? It was her fault and she knew it. Sice stood at once. She brushed past Angel who looked longingly at her and simply walked by Queen without a word or a shove as usual. The girl stormed down the stairs taking the scythe with her then marched out of the home she grew up in. Daniel had just barely caught a glimpse of his daughter walking off. He had seen the streak of silver and the door slamming shut behind her.

Angel looked to Queen with a frown. "That was a little harsh, Queen." She knew Queen was rude but since Queen was often nice to her, it was hard to imagine Queen being THIS mean. "This could have happened to anyone. Anyone at all not to mention your always blaming Sice for things. Don't you ever feel bad for the people you hurt?" Before Queen had a chance to answer Angel walked off as well, returning to the living room where the smell of cooking wafted through the air. She approached Daniel who was stirring a big kettle full of potatoes, leaks, and chunks of pork in a broth of sorts. "I hate to bother you but, would you mind if we stayed the night here? I can't promise all of us will be polite but-"

"It's fine. A bit of company will be just fine for the night. Besides, it'd be nice to hear about the battle from someone who was actually there." Daniel replied, patting Angel's shoulder.

Queen let out a loud cry as she was shoved yet again. This time she landed on her butt instead of her hands and knees. The dark haired girl let out a violent hiss. Had Ace not been in the condition he was, she would have yanked Sice's hair out! Ace's eyes shifted among the people in his room. When he saw Sice come to his bedside, he simply stared at her blankly. "N-No...I've never seen you before in my life. Hey...am I...Ace? The girl with the glasses just called me William though...I dont get it..." Ace mumbled. Everything was so confusing now. When he looked back up, he noticed that all of the students were wearing red uniforms and that he had on one too. "Oh cool clothes. Are we in a band or something?" Ace smiled, his eyes brightening a bit.

"I hope you're happy." Queen spat as she moved back into the room, her eyes drilling a nice sized hole the back of Sice's head. "This is all your fault! How many times has Ace saved your fat ass? The least you could have done was helped him when you landed." Queen stated and with the harshest tone she could muster. Seven shifted her eyes between the girls. Another fight was going to take place. She quickly placed Mog in between them. Now wasn't the time for him to be nuzzling her breasts anyway.

"So...what do we do now? He's awake...but he doesn't remember anything." Trey sighed. His memory loss couldn't have come at a worst time too. Queen thought for a moment. They'd have no choice but to take him along. The enemy wouldn't care if Ace had lost his memory or not. "I think..we should let William rest for a few hours. After that we can explain everything then." she replied softly before turning her back to the group and moving back downstairs. It looked like they'd be spending the night.

Sice was the next of the students to have forced her way into the room. When she heard Ace's voice she grabbed hold of Queen's shoulder and practically threw her out into the hallway to give herself more room. She had heard a bit of what Queen had mentioned to Seven and Trey but not the entire thing. When she reached Ace she felt uneasy as she looked at him. Mog had flown back toward the bed in tears then made a sharp turn aiming for Sice's chest. "Babe! He threw me at the wall!!!!" Mog cried into her chest then took note of Seven. His next destination was her chest as well where he did the exact same thing.

"Ace...?" Sice began. Now that Queen was out of the way Sice knelt down so she was eye level with the boy. "You... Don't remember me, do you?" This couldn't be happening. What great timing. Sice felt her head swim with questions. Her guilt rose for not being able to save Ace when she had the chance. This was all her fault...

"Check it out, we're in a soap opera!" Stated Mog.

"Shuddup." Sice snapped. "Angel! Angel come here!!" Before she knew it Angel was at her side, bent over with her hands on her knees. "I think... Ace has amnesia or something." She explained weakly. At least on the brighter side of things... she didn't have to wear a sexy dress on a date with Ace...right? The thought was bitter in her head. She would have gone naked if it meant Ace remembered who they were.

King had nearly jumped right out of his skin! Sice's foot had come just a little to close to his crotch leaving the blond sweating bricks. While Queen didn't approve of the way Sice had violently stated her opinion, she did agree. "However...it cant be ignored that we need information. Perhaps someone could volunteer to go into the port and see if they can find anything?" Queen asked, her eyes scanning around the room. "I'll go." Trey smiled and rose to his feet. He wasn't good for much besides video games, but he could run fast and was an excellent shot when it came to the bow. "Anyone else?" Queen asked, her eyes searching for at least two more people. All that was placed on hold though when Deuce came skipping down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Ace slowly began to stir in his bed. He could feel something stubby jabbing him in the face. When his eyes opened, he let out a loud scream as he back handed Mog right into the wall! Ace started backing up till he fell right off the bed with a hard thud!

The room was small, so only a few people were able to fit inside. Queen, Seven, and Trey were among some of the first. "William?" Queen blinked. Trey quickly moved over to Ace's side to help him up. "T-THERE's a FLYING ROACH OVER THERE!!!" the blond freaked as he pointed towards Mog. Seven titled her head to the side. Something seemed a bit off. "You mean Mog? He's not a bat...he's a moogle..." Trey stated. "William are you ok?" Queen asked softly. She moved onto his bedside and ran her finger tips along his bandaged head. "Who the hell are you...and who's this William person?" Ace blinked. His eyes scanned the room. No one looked familiar. Queen suddenly rose to her feet. Her golden hues held fear within them. Quickly, she turned to Seven and Trey while pulling them to the side. "Could he have lost his memory?" she whispered. Trey shrugged his shoulders. Seven gazed over towards Ace worried. She could only hope that it wasn't permanent. Sighing softly, Queen turned around to face Ace once more. "Whats the last thing you remember?" she asked softly. Ace looked down. This was just too much. Who were all these people? Where was he and why was there a roach buzzing around????

Sice had hardly been paying attention. Between Jack's over pronounced compliments to her father about her and his house and Queen's bitchiness; nothing was interesting at all. The few men that had seen scarce pictures of Sice as a child mused and talked about what a fine young lass she had grown to be but she wound up ignoring them as well. Why didn't her father shoot on sight and save her from this disaster? The girl had just began to fuss with her silver locks when she overheard King moaning about Ace. Seven and Queen wouldn't be King's biggest concern. Sice had brought out her scythe with shadows cast over her eyes. She slammed her foot inches from King's crotch with a snicker. "Leave Ace? I hardly think you of all people should be saying such things!" Daniels head turned at Sice's shouting. He was fascinated by the sight. His young daughter, who cried over everything since her mom passed away, was doing everything but shedding tears! The man gave a faint smile. His little girl had grown up a bit. It did his heart good to see her in such a state. And frightening to boot! Sice spun around on her heels then, Scythe held high. She was now addressing everyone of the students. "No matter what King or anyone else things, it's hardly a smart idea to break apart now! If anyone disagrees then by all means, DISCUSS IT WITH TUNDRA HERE!"

Cinque jumped up at that precise moment to give the girl a big hug. Her arms wrapped beneath her breasts, pushing them up high as she giggled wildly on her shoulder. "You tell 'em!" She encouraged. Sice's face had turned as red as a brand new garnet with Cinque's touch. It hadn't been the first time Cinque had done such a thing, on purpose or otherwise. It was embarrassing not only because it was before everyone but that Jack was right there, staring with mouth wide open. Daniel had none of this though. His fist drove down upon the blond boys head and sent him sprawling to the floor.

"Hey guys, I think someone is waking up~!" Cinque, Jack, Daniel and Sice all turned their heads suddenly as Deuce came skipping down the hallway on the second floor. She leaned over the wooden railing, a ray of sunshine smiles beaming down upon everyone. Back in the room with Ace, Mog stood on the blond boys chest, stubbornly kicking at the boys jaw. He was muttering something along the lines of 'Wake the hell up already!'. Whether he was truly waking up or just being irritated that Mog was kicking him wasn't known to Deuce who had no clue Mog was preforming such a thing.

Oh it was so on! Queen just wanted to chew Sice up and spit her out. It was like she didn't even care that Ace was unconscious. She wasn't surprised though. She pretty much had Sice figured out as a person. When her father stepped up though, Queen simply tilted her gaze upwards. She held no fear for the man no matter how large he was. Her eyes showed it. "Sir, I thank you for taking in my class and helping bandage William. I apologize for entering your home in the rude fashion I did." She replied softly and bowed her head. "However..." she begin as her head rose and her sharp golden eyes came to rest on Sice. "Your daughter is-" Queen stated, but suddenly screamed as she was shoved to the ground by Jack. She'd kill Him!! Queen suddenly shot up like a bolt of energy and rolled the sleeve back on her uniform. She was going to beat Jack senseless. Seeing the look in her eye, King quickly moved behind her to hold her back. There had been enough blood for one day.

After the tensions had calmed some...which kinda took awhile...Queen could be seen discussing a few options with Cinque, Seven, and King. There was no doubt they couldn't stay for long, but they also couldn't leave Ace. "Ok what do we know? It wasn't just our school. No, it was every city within Suzaku that was attacked. We got no warning...no nothing. Why?" Queen asked. Seven had wondered the same thing. "Could it have been for resources? Its a text book attack. When invading a country for resources you wipe out the the local population." King suggested as he munched on a cookie. "Yea you do, but that doesn't fit. These soldiers captured students from our school so I doubt they were after resources. What we need is information..." Queen replied softly as she stroked her chin. Trey suddenly came walking up to the group. "I can tell you where we are." He smiled, his cheeks stuffed with cookies. "Swallow first you animal!" Queen yelled causing the blond to take a few steps back. He took a few moments to swallow down the sweets and then pulled out a small crystal like sphere from his pocket. The ball lit up and displayed a world map on the wall for all to see. "Ok...I think we're...here. They took us a good ways away from the academy though we'll still within Suzaku territory. We're about a three weeks walk from Port Anders. That port is a major place of trade. Its the city is still there...maybe we could find some information on whats going on." Trey replied softly before stuffing the sphere back into his pocket.

"God why dont we just leave Ace? Its not like he's of any use. We dont have time to send people on a three week walk and then wait for them to come back." King groaned. Judging by the glares from Seven and Queen his idea wasn't liked. "We will not leave him. Need I remind you that its because of him that ANY of us are alive..." Queen stated, her voice holding a hint of rage towards King's proposal. "He's a loose end. Its time to cut him. Yeah ok he got lucky with the whole missile thing, but come on! Ever since freshmen year you've been going on and on about how Ace is useless, how he's a loser, how he's a disgrace! Now you've had a change of heart? Once a loser always a loser. One brave action wont change that. We need to leave him here and move on period." King stated and loud enough for everyone in the class to hear. Suddenly, tensions rose again. Seven sharply shook her head. She'd rather be left behind then to leave Ace laying in a bed unconscious. It wasn't right, it wasn't right at all.

Why did it always have to be Queen? Why couldn't she have fallen off the ship and gone splat? The girl sighed as Queen pushed past and even sighed again when Queen returned. It was official. Queen was on her I-hate-list. But while Queen and Angel had gone upstairs to bother with Ace, Daniel invited the students in for hot cocoa and various snacks he had stashed here and there. Cinque was one of the first to accept the offer. She had been starving! Daniel returned with a few more students sitting on the living room couch of his and began handing out chocolate chip cookies to all who asked. Cinque had taken a good handful, even Sice took one to ease her nerves.

Sice swallowed the chunk of cookie she had been chewing on when Queen focused her attention to her. Daniel was a good cook and loved sweets just as much as Sice. "We got caught in a tree you dumbass." Sice replied just as fiercely. "You know, our chute? Yeah it kind of got stuck so we had to climb out of it. Ace fell from there." She didn't tell Queen about her attempt to catch him and how she utterly failed. Sice felt guilty enough for that without Queen pushing her further in the mud.

Daniel had put aside the cookies at last then stepped up beside Sice and Queen. His dark eyes glared lethally at Queen. "If yer gunna be in my house you can at least talk to my daughter with respect." He wasn't asking politely either. The way he looked down upon Queen and the frown painted on his lips; it was clear he was demanding the girl be respectful. Unless she wanted a big brute like him to put her down a notch.

"Wow, your Sice's dad???" Inquired a chirping young man as he shoved Queen out of the way. It was Jack...imagine that. Daniel looked at Jack, hardly interested. "Well you should know my name is Alexander Revell but everyone calls me Jack. You have a lovely house and a beautiful daughter, Sir." Though mentally Jack began to wonder where Sice's looks came from. She was fair skinned with striking silver hair and eyes that pierced even the darkest hour. Daniel however seemed very different from that. Not to mention twice the size of an ogre.

"Of course she's beautiful, boy. She's my daughter after all." Replied Daniel with a grin. His eyes then shot to Queen once more. "You could learn a thing or two from her."

"He fell from a tree??" Queen blinked, though still kept her blade against her prisoner's neck. When she saw Sice come down to stand beside Daniel it only added to the confusion already present. "Wait...you've been lazing about here...for how long?" Queen growled. The added attitude she got from Sice upon seeing her added fuel to the flames. It seemed like the men weren't all bad, but Queen wouldn't let her guard down till she saw Ace's condition. "Trey watch them for me." Queen ordered as she withdrew her blade and jammed in back into its sheath. "Wh-What am I suppose to do??" Trey blinked twice before shifting his gaze over towards Sice and her father. The man looked strong...really strong. Queen ignored his question though and followed Deuce upstairs. On her way, her shoulder purposely rammed past Sice's.

"William?" Queen whispered, her voice soft as she neared his bed. Her eyes scanned him over before turning towards Deuce. She wanted confirmation that Ace was ok. "I dont understand how he manged to fall out of a tree..." Queen mumbled with a small exhausted sigh. She and the others had been searching for Ace and Sice for the last few hours without rest. Small bags had even formed under the President's eyes. "Deuce would you mind watching him for a little while? I'm going downstairs to deal with that whore's father and find out exactly what happened." Queen mumbled as she stormed back towards the door. She had a responsibility to insure that all of her class was in good health...or at least thats what she told herself.

When Queen got back down stairs she found that her prisoner along with the other men had been untied. Her golden eyes shot like a bullet over towards Trey, Seven, King, and the rest of the students who were sitting on the couch. "Useless." she sighed deeply. Seven lowered her head and stared at the floor. "I think we're safe Queen. I mean...at least for now. We shouldn't stay here for long though." King advised. "Did you think of that on your own?" Queen spat, her brow raised as she stared down her VP. "Um...yea this is all great...but how long is Bob gonna stay a human paper weight???" asked one of Danial's men. Actually, it was the same one Queen had abused. Suddenly, all eyes were on Queen. The young girl let out a deep groan as she walked over towards the statue. She pressed her index and middle fingers against her lips while chanting softly. She then pressed her fingers against the forehead of the statue and within a few seconds his body returned to normal. "Happy now?" Queen frowned, her brow still arched. "Now I've got some questions for you Sice." The girl stated, her voice as cold as ever. Queen had never liked Sice to begin with and recently the two seemed to constantly butt heads. "How did William get like that and how long has he been out?"

The large burly man, Daniel was his name, simply stood before the entrance of his own house and watched as the young girl Queen demanded attention. He hardly paid heed of her however and looked down upon his stupid partner. "I can't believe you." Daniel spat with annoyance. "A bunch of kids rain from the sky and you let them take your asses out like they're trained military men. Give me one reason I should help!" But Daniel could never abandon his men like this. Once he would get them back from the students the only thing left to do was humiliate them countless times of how the dangerous kids broke their wills. "I got a blond kid upstairs, fell outta a tree being stupid I guess. But I don't know who Sice is. My daughter is with the blond kid however."

By now Sice had deemed Ace completely fine if not annoyingly so. He got to rest while she had to deal with her father and his goons. She removed herself from the guest room then trekked back to the stairs. Just at the landing she saw the group outside. "Queen?" Sice questioned, coming down the stairs. "Great now I have to deal with you guys too." Things got worse apparently.

"Who is this 'Sice' this bitch is talking about? I assume your friend upstairs is Ace." Her dad turned his dark gaze to her now. He was impressed that she hung out with such talented people yet didn't fully understand the nickname. "Irina, are you Sice?"

Sice was standing beside her father now who simply towered over the silver haired girl. Blue eyes peered over the group outside the door. "Hey Angel, Ace is upstairs can you check to see if Daniel here patched him up right?"

Angel immediately bolted past everyone to get to Sice. Her frail frame took hold of Sice with a tight grip. "Your okay! Mog and I were worried!" She giggled then looked to the stairs. "I can go make sure he's fine." Without hesitation she ran up the stairs, Mog just inches behind her.

"Who the hell are you callin' Daniel? Have you no respect for your own dad? What did they teach you in that school?"

((Ooc: I hope it was alright that I threw him in. He'll probably take a liking to Ace anyways so it shouldn't be too awkward! xD))

ooc: O.o Her father huh? Thats gonna make for an awkward dinner conversation when Ace wakes up lol

ic: Ace remained in a deep state of unconsciousness. He had been lucky not to break anything major, but the force from the drop had jarred his head pretty good. He laid in the bed, his face looking rather peaceful for someone who had been knocked out. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, like he was on vacation or simply taking a nap.

A few hours later, the door to the house shot open! "Boss help!" Came the loud cries of a tall man as he was forced through the door and onto his knees. To his neck was the cold steel of Queen's blade. Behind the man was several others including one man who had been turned into petrified statue. "Boss these children be demons! We had found their camp, but it was empty. Next thing we know this crazy bitch swooped down from the trees like some sort of banshee! We were jumped by her 'thugs' and surrounded. We told them that we had the blond kid...the one with the cards...and she just freaked out! Boss, she got Bob! Just look, he's all stiff!" the man cried and pointed to the statue King had placed at the entrance of the door. "Shut it." Queen hissed, her golden hues forming slits as her attention shifted towards Sice's father. "Where is William? If any harm has come to him I swear by all that is holy I'll gut you where you stand!" She spat out. "Uh...Queen we're kinda looking for Sice too..." Trey whispered from behind her. "Fine! Tell me what you've done with William AND Sice or I'll gut you where you stand!" Queen yelled, her right eye twitching a little. It looked like all of the students had found each other. The only one missing aside from Ace and Sice was Nine.

"Boss do something! Bob isn't the only one! Rick, Steve, and Mike are tied up outside. These children be monsters! Its not normal I tell you!" The man yelled only to have Queen's foot practically shoved right up his ass. "I said shut it." she barked. The man wouldn't get a third warning. Things had kinda gotten out of control. Seven had wanted to take a more...reasonable approach to dealing with the men, but lacked the ability to voice her thoughts. Instead she stood outside with Eight, Cinque, and Deuce. She and Eight had personally tied up the rest of the men with rope they had got from the crash site.

"Bitch!" Screamed Sice. She watched with terrified eyes as Ace fell just out of her reaching fingers. Her weight slipped forward but she was still too slow to catch him in time. There came a ghastly thunk when Ace struck the forest floor beneath them. A few leaves fluttered to the ground after the commotion, birds starting to sing in the distance. "Ace get up!" Sice summoned her scythe after having retrieved it from the ship. Before, having been hanging onto Ace, it would have been too awkward and possibly too risky to have summoned the massive blade. It appeared with the same silver flames as before, its blade catching the rays of light that shimmered through the canopy. With it she buried the tip of the crest into the tree's bark and all at once, threw herself off the branch! The blade held true and allowed Sice to descend. Chips of bark and small, still growing branches were removed in the process of the girls jump. Just a few feet from the ground Sice pushed off from the tree. She landed on the ground just a foot from Ace, the scythe thrown to the side.

"Ace! Ace come on you have to wake up!" Sice pressed the palms of her hands against his chest. She had little to no medical training. What was someone suppose to do in this situation?! "Wake up! Please wake up!"

"Who's out here?!" Inquired a low rumbling voice from the shadows of the forest. Sice felt herself jolt at the sudden noise. Twigs were breaking now as someone approached. Brush rustling and leaves churning made Sice get on the defensive. "I said who's there!" The voice cracked like thunder.

"I need help. My friend here, he fell from the tree and he won't wake up. Please, tell me you can help me!"

At her plea a figure emerged from the thicket of the forest. He was a large man, twice the size of any regular male adult. He was of muscular build with thinning black hair. He was also very tan, clearly he worked in the sun a lot. "He's probably unconscious." The man stated as he put away his junky rifle. He also had a notable beard with streaks of silver from his old age. "What's with all these children falling from the skies today?" As he approached his hazel eyes skimmed over Sice, as she did to him. The both gasped suddenly.

"Holy-" Stammered the man first,

"Shit..." Coughed Sice secondly. "Dad?"

"Well I be damned. Irina, what the hell are you doing out here! Its dangerous in the woods."

Sice immediately stood up and jammed an accusing finger at the man she claimed to be her father. "IT'S DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU TOT A RIFLE AROUND OUT HERE!" The man gave a hearty laugh. He then proceeded to kneel beside Ace. "Look I can explain everything but I need you to help me!"

"I know kiddo," The man was already taking charge of that. After examining the boy carefully the man decided it was safe to at least pick him up. "I've got stuff back at my place. Healin' stuff. Fix him up right and good."

+ + +

"Okay he's taken care of. It'll be a bit before he wakes though." Sice's father reemerged from the stairs leading to the second floor. He had brought the two happy campers to a small 'house' in the woods. Sice could hardly imagine a man living on his own in such a big place. He walked down the remaining stairs then took a seat in the humble country kitchen where Sice had been sitting. Her scythe was beside the front door where he had also left his rifle. "I've got my boys lookin' for those other kids. Terrible thing to see the academy fall that way." But Sice was hardly in the mood to talk. Instead of talking about things she had to fight through herself she dismissed herself from the kitchen. "Where you goin' Irina?"

"Check on Ace."

Ace couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. He gave Sice a small nod as he watched her climb onto the branch. "Its a date." he smiled up at her. Part of him had only been joking, but the other part was serious. Back at the ice cream parlor he hadn't thought that the two of them had gone out. No, Ace was simply treating her to avoid being killed for groping her. However he had planned to ask Sice out on a real date. Actually, he had planned to do so just before the attack had hit them. It was funny. Ace had let plenty of chances go by. Though he wasn't sure if she felt anything at all for him he figured there was no harm in asking. Maybe luck would smile upon him for a change.

Sighing softly, Ace shook his head free from such thoughts. He looked up at Sice to make sure the branch was steady enough. The one's holding Ace's chute up felt pretty week. "Alright here I go..." Ace mumbled as he grabbed onto the strings of the chute with one hand and undid his straps with the other. His body jerked down hard when the vest came off. Ace's teeth ground together. Suddenly it seemed like a long way up between where he was hanging and where Sice was perched. The boy let out several grunts as he forced his way up towards the tangled branches. Now he was just a hand's length away from Sice. "You know...I think after this maybe you should treat me. Oh, and make sure you wear something sexy. Perhaps something black...and above the knee." he grinned and let out a soft laugh as he reached out for her hand.

Suddenly, there was a snap! The branches holding Ace up had all broken due to the shift in weight. Ace seemed to fall back in slow motion, his hand still extending towards Sice's. What followed was a series of crashes into lower branches before his body finally hit the ground with a hard thud. The blond boy didn't get up. His body hadn't moved an inch after falling. Had he hit his head? Was he even alive?

The jump alone was enough to make Sice's stomach jump out of her throat and do loops in the air beside her. The sight of the ship had also taken its toll on her. Watching as it sank into an ocean of green in a pillar of smoke and flames. It was almost haunting with the fact it did so almost gracefully. The sound of wind ripping past her ears covered the sound of the ship crushing down on itself in the forest. Ace began yelling then. Sice looked at him unsure of what he had said at first. He yelled again. Something about the chute. Absently Sice reached up and grabbed.

The jolt of the chute tearing open had caused the young girl to surrender to an unconscious state of mind. The darkness swept her vision once again, as it had twice now. There was a moment, while her mind stepped foot into the valley of darkness, a moment on which a memory came drifting to her. Like a bottle on the ocean tide with a small, ink smeared message inside. She knew the memory well but had blocked it as of late. She hated it.

The familiar face of her father came to mind once more. Here in this realm of truth and honest she could openly admit to missing the man. His eyes were red with tears while he held a weeping child in his large arms. Her silver hair was as long as she was tall, cascading over the arms that held her. The girl cried into his chest while before them lay the corpse of a creature known as a Chocobo. Blood stained its bright golden feathers. The death of the bird was from a large metal rod from the barn that had collapsed in on itself. It impaled the glorious creature. The father held his daughter tighter as she yelled, "She needs to wake up and take care of her eggs! The babies will die without their Mama! Wake up! Please wake up!"

Sice, wake up

Her throat rumbled with a muffled groan. Slowly her eyelids fluttered to reveal her staggering translucent blue orbs. Her heart skipped at the sight of Ace. They were alive after all! Sice pulled herself tighter to Ace with a smile. Soon Ace was demanding things of her. Apparently the situation wasn't as grand as she imagined. She listened however. No way in hell was she about to look. "You want me to...what? Climb??" Sice asked with a raised brow. "Contrary to popular believe, I am not a monkey!" Hissed the girl, more frightened than angry. Yet the situation would call for her aid or to sleep among the trees she assumed they were hanging from. It was up to her as Ace was useless to move. "Fine... I'm going to need more than Ice cream after this one though Ace." With courage building at a slow pace Sice took it carefully as she began to ascend. She would climb a few inches, take a deep intake of fresh air, then continue her climb once again.

A long few minutes later Sice reached the fattest branch to climb onto. It would support the weight of their entire class if need be. She exhaled a sigh of relief. "Okay, hurry and get yer ass up here." Instead of gazing down at Ace, like most would have done, Sice studied the sky through the dense tree canopy. She wouldn't be caught staring at the ground just yet!

Fire ran unhindered throughout the ship. Ace and Sice had jumped just in time to escape the inferno that ravaged the hanger. Ace watched as the ship went down right into the middle of a heavily forested area. It looked like a large meteor had just struck down. As the duo continued their rapid decent Ace wrapped his arms around Sice tighter then he ever had. "Sice I need you to pull the chute! I wont let go of you! I wont ever let go!" He yelled. Ace could now see the tops of trees very quickly getting closer and closer. "PULL THE CHUTE!" Ace screamed out...

A few hours later, Ace's eyes slowly peeled open. Had they landed? The blond blue eyes shifted from left to right and then up and down. Their chute had got tangled up in a few branches. They were still a good 25 feet off the ground. Ace wasn't sure if it would have been safe to jump or not. At the moment though, his body simply hung to dry. To his surprise, even while unconscious he hadn't released Sice. The girl was still handing onto his clothes. Ace had to be careful. It would only take one wrong move for the branches to snap. "Sice, Sice wake up!" Ace yelled. When he got her attention, he advised her not to look down no matter what. "Listen my chute it caught. There's a branch just a few inches above my head. I need you to see if you can reach it and pull yourself up onto the branch. Once you're up there, I'll unstrap this thing and you can pull me up. We'll make our way down after that ok?" Ace smiled, though it only hid his true feelings inside. He didn't want to worry Sice though. He knew she was bad with heights and most likely freak out when she noticed just how high they still were

Angel didn't seem to mind being carried by King bridal style as they jumped. Not only that but the girl was smiles as they jumped free of the ship and fell into the large open skies. Sice swore she heard Angel laughing the entire way. Of course. Leave it to Deuce to think this was fun. Then again, if something happened, Angel was there with her magic. One of the only ones in this small knit group who had White Magic of all things. Sice felt she would have been better off jumping with Angel then god-knows who ever.

Her chilling blue eyes watched as the students all fled from the burning ship one after another. The pull from the mouth of the door was strong. If one wasn't careful they could easily be thrown outside with or without safety measures. The thought made Sice sick. She held tightly to a large metal pipe just to the side. When an eruption of fire and debris came roaring around her all she could do was duck and hold her breath. How many times was she going to face death? The heat of the flames were licking at her neck. A bead of sweat gathered on her brow. She looked up to notice she and Ace were all alone now. Her eyes met Ace's, fear roaring like the oceans waves in her teal orbs. That moment the only thing Sice thought about was Ace. The look on his face and the sparkle in his eyes. Of course any other time and she would have been disgusted to know such thoughts lingered in her mind. Another explosion broke her off her thoughtful trance. "Of course I do!" She lunged for Ace throwing her arms around his neck all at once. Her eyes were closed tightly. She could only feel the soft fabric of Ace's clothing under the palms of her hands as she held on for dear life. Of all things...why heights?

Sice suddenly had the attention of everyone inside the bridge. Queen looked up at the girl, her eyes narrowed sharply. She may have had a change of heart regarding Ace but as far as Sice was concerned she still found her to nothing more than a trashy waste of a person. Unfortunately Sice was right though and Queen couldn't deny it. "Very well." she mumbled and walked over to check out the layout for herself. It looked like there were several compartments throughout the ship. With any luck they would find parachute or escape pops of some sort. "Alright there are eleven of us so lets split up. Jack you go with Sice, King, and Seven. Deuce you come with me, William, and Trey. That leaves Cinque, Cator, and Eight to a group. Lets go people!" Queen commanded. There was little time to lose if Trey had been right.

Ace's eyes shifted over towards Sice. Once again she'd be alone with Jack. There was something about the fact that left a bad taste in his mouth. As the groups followed the map throughout the ship, Queen's group and Sice's group ended tailing one another. They had just arrived at the closet escape hanger to their position when Ace noticed that there were more of them then parachutes. "Where is the next closet hanger?" Queen asked. "All the way at the end of the ship..." Trey mumbled. "No choice. One person will have to strap a chute on while the other hangs on." Queen stated. "Thats suicide!" Trey exclaimed, his body was already shaking. Just then, a massive explosion tore through the ship! Smoke, fire, and ash blew down through the halls as the ship slowly began to pitch downwards. Queen ran towards the wall and pulled down on a long lever which triggered a massive metal door to open from underneath the ship. They had to be a good 60 feet high. "I cant do this..." Trey mumbled, his eyes wide. "Shut up and be a man!!!!" Queen hissed as she grabbed Jack by the arm and strapped a chute to his body. "Dont you dare drop me." Queen spat as she tightened the strap around Jack's chest EXTRA tight. "Alright lets do this!" King yelled having already strapped a chute to his chest. He walked right over to Deuce and easily scooped the small girl into his arms. Without giving her a warning he jumped right through the opening!

Ace's eyes nearly came out from their sockets. Queen forced a large lump in her throat downwards. "O-Ok...ground rules..." she shuddered as she tried to calm herself as much as possible. "Hold me tightly and dont let go under ANY circumstances. Keep your hands where they NEED to be." she warned him. There would be a death penalty if he made a move to grope her. "Alright now pick me up." Queen ordered. Trey was still standing back unsure of what to do. Seven stared at the boy. As much as she hated the idea of him and her being so close...she couldn't leave him there. "Um...yea I think I'll find another way down." Trey laughed nervously. Suddenly, he felt Seven grab onto the back of his shirt. The girl locked her arms around the boy in a vice like grip before making the making the jump. The sound of Trey's girl like screams could be heard all the way down.

Ace looked at Sice now. They were the only ones who hadn't strapped up. Slowly, Ace grabbed a chute and tied it on. The ship was falling apart. Explosions were going off every other second and soon there wouldn't be a ship left to stand on. "Sice..." Ace whispered as he turned to face her. The blond extended his hand to her. Together they had faced off against death. It was only fitting that they do so again. "Do you trust me?" the boy asked, his blue eyes brightening as a small smile formed on his lips...